Pushing Elves
by Lucy Conan
Summary: 35 years ago, the Elven King of Mirkwood had a weak moment with a human from a different world. After she returns to her world, she discovers the gift, the elven royal has bestowed upon her - remembering him to the day she dies - twice. 35 years, 9 months and two days later the portal opens again - and Thranduil will discover a new world - and his child with a special gift.
1. Chapter 1 - Coincidences

Pushing Elves

Disclaimer: Thranduil and Legolas belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. The versions of them used for this story are that of the movies by Peter Jackson.

All other characters belong to the creators of the ABC TV-Show Pushing Daisies.

Comment: I am only publishing this under Pushing Daisies as Middle Earth only makes an appearance in this first chapter. The story will continue in the beautiful colorful world of Pushing Daisies.

Summary: 35 years ago, Thranduil had a weak moment with a visitor from a different world - when the Elven King is bored out of his mind with his current situation, suddenly a portal to a new world presents itself - and he will find out what - or who - grew from that weak moment. (Summary is awful, I know) - basically I just wanted to explore the idea „What if Thrandiul is the Pie Maker's real dad).

**And now to the story: **

At this very moment in the realm of Valinor, situated in a world known to it's inhabitants as Arda, the former Elven king Thranduil was bored out of his mind. And so in fact, was his son Legolas.

Both elves had been born into Middle Earth and as princes to their realm had grown up being trained as warriors. For most elves being a warrior was a necessity, a profession chosen because there was no other way to protect their respective realms. Thranduil and Legolas however, had become warriors not only because they had to, but because it was in their blood. Both elves needed the excitement and adrenalin rush of battle. And though they did cherish the peace of Valinor that allowed the elves to live in piece - they eventually got bored, for a peaceful realm as Valinor held no excitement for warriors. Warriors were frankly not needed anymore. Now they could have been tasked to hunt - but elves did not hunt for sports as they also did not hunt for food as the food elves consumed was of the green variety.

By the time Thranduil left Arda for Valinor with the last of the Mirkwood elves, Legolas had already spent several centuries in Valinor and had long ago buried his dwarven friend Gimli, who while accepted in Valinor for his deeds during the destruction of the one ring, was sadly not immortal. The former prince of Mirkwood had long settled into his live of boredom, that was spent reading every available reading material he could lay his hands on in Valinor, as well as honing his warrior skills - knowing full well that he would never need them again.

When King Thranduil arrived, he was given a seat on the council of elves as was granted every former leader of an elven realm. Not being solely responsible for ruling a realm or the elves of Mirkwood anymore, but part of a council gave Thranduil more time to do those things that he had not had time for during the long centuries he had spent as the Elven King of Mirkwood. However, more free time on his hands only meant that he succumbed to boredom more quickly than he would have otherwise.

And so it was that when a portal openend, throwing a young red haired mortal from another world into Valinor, Thranduil took it upon himself to take care of the young woman, intrigued by her stories of a world where no magic existed, but something called technology. Where metal carriages running without horse power were used to transport people, where food could be stored in iced boxes and where power came from a connection in the wall.

The other elves of the council were glad that the former Elvenking showed such keen interest in a being from another race and the lightening of his grumpy mood born from boredom, that they happily left the young woman in the Elvenking's care, not realizing that the Elvenking's curiosity soon exceeded a strictly platonic interest.

And so it came to be that when the portal to her world reopened, the young red haired woman left with a gift the Elvenking had bestowed upon her growing inside her. A gift she would remember him by up to the day she died - twice.

It has been 35 years, 9 months and two days since the day the Elvenking has been left by the pretty red haired girl - and as his thoughts returned to her and the life he had sensed growing inside her, he finally told his son about the secret he had kept for so long.

Legolas had been in a bad mood, remembering the old times, when he still had had siblings, saddened by the fact that he had survived them all. Two brothers had been lost to orc bands, surprising them on their way back from trade negotiations with Laketown. His sister had been killed by spiders inside of Mirkwood. In a contemplative state himself and sensing his son's sadness at being the only offspring of his father left, Thranduil had told him about the half-sibling that at this very moment was living in a strange, futuristic world.

His son had taken the news surprisingly well after the initial shock. But he had proven to have regained his sense of humor, when he pointed out to his father that he would not allow Legolas to betroth himself to a silvan elf - when the Elvenking himself had nothing better to do than to impregnate a human from a different world. Thranduil's response had been that he had not betrothed himself - he had sounded quite smug - until Legolas pointed out that this also meant that he would probably never see his half-human child. That had put a damper on his mood and made Legolas sorry for his ill-attempted comeback.

While the Elvenking was excentric and it was said he was infatuated with treasure and shiny things - the biggest, shiniest treasure for him had always been his children. And though the child he had fathered would be only half-elven, he would still love it as he had loved all his children and still loved his son Legolas.

"The child would be turning 35 these days." Thranduil said softly.

"Do you think he or she would already have stopped aging?" Legolas asked. "You said they have no real magic in their world and immortal beings don't exist - wouldn't it cause them trouble to not age? You know how humans get when things differ from what they belief to be fact already in this world."

"I do not know." Thranduil said, now his sadness about never seeing his child mixed with worry.

As happens quite often with coincidences, they tend to happen at the most curiously fitting moments - puzzling those experiencing them to believe that there has to be some ulterior motive behind the event.

in this instant, the coincidence was two beings sharing the same dna being at the exact necessary time in their respective places, triggering a portal between worlds. The two elves knew nothing of dna, but saw a portal that at least Thranduil recognized as the kind of portal that had decades ago swept a red haired girl and an unborn child away. Could it be possible that it led to exactly this world?

Father and son looked at each other and without a word turned toward the portal - one a bow and quiver slung across his shoulder, the other a long elven sword -that once had seen many battles but now was mere ceremonial decoration - at his hip.

Without thinking twice about their mutual silent decision, both boredom tired elves stepped into the portal, ready for the excitement and adventure of going to on unknown world.


	2. Chapter 2 - Blue tunnels & yellow fields

At this very moment in the town of Coeur d'Coeurs, the Pie Maker and the once dead girl Charlotte Charles sat in one of the many yellow flowered fields and shared a picnic. It was the day the PieMaker turned 35.

And while he never had given much thought to aging before he had brought his childhood sweetheart back, now every year he grew older filled him with dread, for the girl he loved did not age past the day her second life started. Charlotte Charles remained frozen in time to the exact moment he had revived her - and in his mind it was only a matter of time until she decided he had grown too old for her and would leave.

Presently, this was not yet a problem, as Chuck had only a few days ago complimented him that she liked the way he was filling out, his shoulders getting broader and all in all the more boyish look of his twenties was now giving way to the look of a grown man in his mid-thirties.

While those words had gone down like honey, a mean little voice in the back of his head gnawed at him that after that, the way to old age was not so far anymore and the age gap only grew.

As the Pie Maker contemplated these thoughts, the once dead girl seemed completely oblivious to his worries, as she rustled excitedly with a sheet of plastic food wrap, while eyeing the watch. She waited for the clock to turn it's handles to the exact time her Pie Maker was born, planning to kiss him on that exact moment. When only mere seconds were left, she placed the saran wrap over his face and leaned in for the kiss.

At first he responded like he always did, eagerly kissing her back through the thin plastic, but suddenly he froze and when she pulled back she could see that his eyes were huge as saucers, staring in disbelief at something over her left shoulder, his mouth falling open in wonder, his head unconsciously tipping to one side. For a moment, Chuck couldn't help but think that he looked kind of cute doing that, but then curiosity won over.

Slowly Chuck turned, then gasped, the saran wrap sliding from her fingers. A few yards away from them in the middle of the field, something that looked like a tunnel of blue swirling light had opened about five feet above the ground. She gaped at it in amazement and almost jumped, when suddenly two figures dropped out of the swirling light, landing and gracefully rolling onto their feet as the tunnel closed behind them immediately, causing the two figures to whirl around in alarm.

That gave Chuck and Ned the chance to take in the two new arrivals:

The shorter one was wearing green leggings and a green tunic, boots and what appeared to be a quiver that accompanied the bow that was now notched with an arrow pointing at the spot midair that moments ago had been filled with the blue tunnel. Blond hair flowed down the obviously male beings back, though it was held back from his face by braids. He cussed in a melodic sounding, strange language. Chuck assumed he was cursing, it would have been what she would have done in such a situation and she assumed, strange as that person looked, he probably would have similar reactions like everyone else. He looked kind of medieval though, or rather the style of his clothes did. At least what Chuck would have imagined medieval attire to look like.

The taller one was wearing a coat, of what Chuck would describe as silvery green over similarly colored, tight pants. What was beneath the strangely cut coat could not be seen for it was laced up. This one, too, wore boots, but his long silver blond hair flowed freely down his back, longer than that of his companion. He had a very long, slightly curved sword in his right hand. Chuck knew the exact moment Ned noticed the sword, as she felt him tense beside her, his covered arm touching her equally clothes covered side.

Aware that the tunnel was now closed, but they were not alone in the yellow flowered field, the two men turned around and walked towards them after looking at them for a moment, no doubt assessing them if they were a threat. Ned could only hope that a couple sitting on a blanket in a field, the obvious remainders of a picnic scattered around them, looked harmless enough to not be stabbed with that awfully long sword or punctured by arrows.

As the two strangers approached, both Chuck and Ned noticed with unease that the weapons remained drawn.

This caused Ned to frantically look around him to see if he found something to defend himself and Chuck with, but the only things he could find where the empty containers that had held the food of their picnic, two plates and two butter knives and forks. Had they not been sitting in the middle of the field, throwing what was available to distract the two approaching men long enough for them to hide behind anything would have made sense - but as it were, the distance to the car or any houses was too big. So all Ned could settle for was getting to his feet and pulling Chuck up and behind him, taking care that his hands only touched her clothes covered arms.

Chuck however was not content waiting behind Ned's back, she peeked out from his left side, noticing how Ned was stiffening with fear. She had no doubt his mind was currently mainly preoccupied with what those weapons could do to them.

As the two strange men approached, Chuck's eyes grew wide as they glued themselves to the taller man's face. She gasped, then looked at Ned as well as she could standing half behind him and back to the taller blonde.

„Oh my god!" she breathed, unable to believe it. The tall blonde man and Ned had the same face - but they could still not have been more different. Where Ned's face was open and overly expressive in an almost naive way, the other man's face exuded a certain coldness and generally the air of someone who was used to command and be obeyed without question. The face showed now emotion and for some reason, Chuck didn't expect it to. She did however notice that both strangers had pointed ears and their complexion was unnaturally fair.

„Oh my god, Ned!" Chuck whispered. „He looks like your twin!"

Ned looked at her in disbelief, then back at the approaching man and his mouth fell open in shock as he realized that he really knew this face - from when he shaved it every morning in front of the mirror.

„Hello! Do you understand us?" the shorter man asked as they approached.

Ned didn't respond, he just continued to stare and Chuck wondered if he perhaps had stopped breathing.

„Yes, we understand you!" Chuck replied instead, stepping out from behind Ned. If they tried to speak with Ned and Chuck, they couldn't mean any harm, could they? Though they might just want to establish contact and then tell them to take them to their leader.

Ned gave a strangled sound, not really happy with Chuck stepping out from behind him. He tried to pull her back behind him again, she just gave him a pointed glare before turning back to the two strangers.

„My name is Legolas, this is my father, Thranduil." he bowed slightly, then pointed to his companion. „Well met."

Thranduil simply inclined his head slightly.

„I'm Chuck. This is Ned. Nice to meet you." Chuck smiled happily, while Ned still gaped. She elbowed him and Ned snapped his mouth shut, but otherwise remained silent.

Thranduil suddenly stepped forward, starting to circle Ned with unhidden interest. Ned watched him, nervously keeping an eye on the taller man, still unsure if they were in danger.

„How old are you… Ned?" Thranduil asked, his eyes roaming up and down, a theory forming in his mind.

„Uh… 35." the Pie Maker replied nervously, his mind on the brink of panic. These two had just popped out of some strange blue tunnel - and now one of them was circling him and interrogating him about his age. This could not be good.

„And 5 minutes." Chuck added with a small laugh. „Today is his birthday." Ned gave her a look that told her he thought she had just given too much information. „What? It's true!" she said.

„Is that so." Thranduil commented dryly, then said something to Legolas, again in the same melodic language they had used earlier.

„So it is true then…" Thranduil smiled - though in his case smiling was a slight upwards tuck of the corners of his mouth, which nonetheless reached his eyes and completely transformed the cold, stony facade, even though only a minimal amount of facial muscles had been moved.

„What is true?" Chuck asked, as the Pie Maker still seemed too confused to join in on the conversation.

„I believe I am your father." he said directly to Ned.


End file.
